1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a copying apparatus and particularly to a copying apparatus capable of copying outlines of only an image inside or outside a designated area in a color identical to or different from the color in the other area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally speaking, the peripheral outline of an image is in practice full of necessary information thereabout and represents sufficiently characterizing features of the given image, thus playing among others a most important role in the judgement of the image.
The so-called outline image means such as a peripheral outline which is picked up from a generally full and positive documentary image and is devoid of intermediate tones or, solid representation, thus being most effective for the identification of the image and for pattern recognition purpose thereof.
As an example, an attractive composite color image pattern can be obtained in such a manner as to form by execution of successive copying operations a black pattern encircled by a color outline.
On the other hand, there have been various proposals as copying apparatus capable of performing copy operation by designating an arbitrary area of an original image. One of those proposals is a copying apparatus capable of performing editing copy, for example, in a trimming mode for copying only an image within an area designated by a coordinate input method or the like, or in an erase mode for erasing only the image within the designated area.
Another proposal is a copying apparatus having a plurality of developer containers containing developers of different colors to obtain a copy in multiple colors by composite copy operation.
As for the above described outline copy for forming an image of an outline portion, it is requested not only to form an outline image for a complete image of an original (i.e., letters, characters, patterns or the like contained in the whole region of the original) but also to form an outline image for a designated area of the original.
In addition, it is sometimes requested to form an image of an outline portion in a color different from that of the image of the other area of the original.